Category: Intermediate

Thank you for considering my plans for Bowler, a “cruising” version of my Top Hat launch. These boats are descended from Harry Bryan’s inspired Handy Billy design, which in turn can trace its origins back to William Hand’s V-bottom designs from the early 20th century. One hundred years later, Hand would still recognize these boats – handsome, sea kindly, efficient, and attractive to the home builder. We’ve incorporated some extra beam, modern construction, and today’s wonderfully quiet and clean-burning outboard motors.

Bowler uses modern glued wood construction. Her bottom is plywood and her curvaceous topsides are strip-planked. All is sheathed in Dynel/epoxy for a boat that stays good-looking with less maintenance. Her fine bow will handle a chop with ease, and her semi-displacement hull can be driven up to 17 knots with just 60 horsepower.

Down below is a generous V-berth, followed by a toilet to starboard and a sink & counter to port. A step up brings you to the shelter, with 6′ 3″ of headroom. The helm station is to starboard, and to port is a “co-pilot” seat with storage under. A luxurious settee extends across the aft end of the cockpit, just forward of the motor well. Lots of storage back here as well.

Bowler’s motor is in a covered well, which makes engine noise almost negligible. The plans are based on an Evinrude E-TEC 60 hp motor – if you want a different motor, you should plan to purchase it early, before the dimensions of the motor well are all glued in place. Please don’t call to ask me if a bigger motor can be installed. This type of hull is not appropriate for speeds over 20 knots.

While most will consider Bowler a day boat, a weekend cruise is easily accommodated as long as simple eating is acceptable. A young and adventurous couple might head off for a week! With curtains around the shelter, even a pair of kids could be included in the fun.

The plans consist of six sheets: Lines, Outboard Profile, Construction Plan, Construction Sections, Joiner Details, Lofted Offsets. Also included is a CD of construction photos and other helpful information.

This boat is a larger version of my popular Point Comfort 18, a traditional Chesapeake Bay workboat type reinterpreted for simpler and more modern construction. Like her smaller sister, this design is drawn to use plywood – in large pieces where possible (roughly three quarters of the boat’s hull), and in small pieces where necessary to get the Chesapeake deadrise bow form. Construction should prove relatively quick and straightforward.

The hull is built upside down over molds and a ladder frame. Heavy 3/4″ plywood is used for planking which allows a hull with little internal framing.

This type has proven to make excellent use of low horsepower – in fact, big motors are not recommended. Fifty horsepower should give 20 knots, but this boat will carry a good load at rewarding speeds with as little as 25. Sixty horsepower should be viewed as the upper limit.

Included are details for a cabin version and an awning top – the two could be combined for spartan cruising for those with sufficient pluck.

The plans consist of eight sheets: Lines, Outboard Profile, Construction Plan, Optional Cabin configuration, Building Jig, and three sheets of full sized patterns.

The Point Comfort skiffs give one of the best combinations of quick and easy building, soft riding, and fuel efficiency I have ever encountered. It will give a smooth ride in the kind of small chop that would knock your fillings loose in a flat bottomed skiff, and get a big load delivered in good time with a tiny fuel bill.

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Alternate layouts:

A fine outboard, smooth riding, seaworthy, and rugged.

In the northern Bahamas, the Albury name is synonymous with boatbuilding. For generations, this family has turned out hundreds of boats, from dinghies to schooners, from their building sheds on Man-O-War Cay. For almost 40 years Willard and Benny Albury have been producing fine outboard runabouts that have earned a reputation as smooth riding, seaworthy, rugged boats, capable of excellent speed with modest horsepower. These plans represent what Willard Albury considers to be his optimal boat, the best of over 250 individual boats.

Doug Hylan has drawn a set of plans that not only documents the construction of these fine boats, but makes it possible for other builders to enjoy their good qualities. The lines show a moderate deadrise of 15 degrees with a fine entry, producing an easy ride even in the short, steep chop common in the shallow waters of the Bahamas. Construction is robust but simple and clean, making these boats easy to maintain and long-lived.

Glued strip planking over frames sawn from natural Madeira root knees was the original construction, but most builders today will probably find it easier to laminate their frames. For those who would prefer cold molding, a construction sheet is included for this method. Lofting is required, but this is not a difficult set of lines to lay down.

Plans are on 6 sheets, including lines, original construction, cold molded construction, and details. Calculation for U. S. Coast Guard safe powering, load capacity, and flotation requirements are included.

WB Plan No. 136, $90.00.